


Take A Deep Breath

by Felurian1



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Comforting Sam Winchester, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hallucinations, Happy Ending, Hugs At The End, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nightmares, Sastiel - Freeform, Trapped Castiel, Trust
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-08
Updated: 2019-12-08
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:02:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21724195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Felurian1/pseuds/Felurian1
Summary: Sam knew the sound of Cas’s breathing. He knew the regular deep breaths that kept his angel alive, the steady rise and fall of his chest when he slept, the way his breath made Sam shiver when it fell hot on the back of his neck. He knew how Cas snored quietly in his sleep when he was sick, how many birthday candles he could blow out in one go, and how he whined when Sam was taking him apart. He knew how long Cas could hold his breath.So that’s the first thing he noticed, the absence of breath. It took a moment for the quiet to register, for the unease to prickle from his spine up to his neck and then he was swinging around, torchlight scattering frantically over the corridor behind him, illuminating pictures, doorframes, walls, but no angel, no trenchcoat and definitely no breathing.
Relationships: Castiel/Sam Winchester
Kudos: 33
Collections: Supernatural Kink Meme





	Take A Deep Breath

Sam knew the sound of Cas’s breathing. He knew the regular deep breaths that kept his angel alive, the steady rise and fall of his chest when he slept, the way his breath made Sam shiver when it fell hot on the back of his neck. He knew how Cas snored quietly in his sleep when he was sick, how many birthday candles he could blow out in one go, and how he whined when Sam was taking him apart. He knew how long Cas could hold his breath.

So that’s the first thing he noticed, the absence of breath. It took a moment for the quiet to register, for the unease to prickle from his spine up to his neck and then he was swinging around, torchlight scattering frantically over the corridor behind him, illuminating pictures, doorframes, walls, but no angel, no trenchcoat and definitely no breathing.

“Cas! Cas? Cas can you hear me?”, Sam yelled, throwing caution to the wind in his panic. There was no reply but on the edge of his hearing Sam caught the sound of muffled banging, like the sound of skin on metal, and it was coming from below him. He knelt on the thinly carpeted floor and searched, first with his eyes straining with the flashlight, then with his hands over every inch of the floor until he found it. The edges of some kind of trapdoor.

“Cas - if you can hear this I’m gonna get you out of there, just hold on okay?”, Sam shouted at the floor, hoping desperately that Castiel would be able to hear, would be able to hold on. The trapdoor wasn’t opening, no matter how much weight he put on it or how hard he smashed at the edges with the butt of the torch, so he ran for the stairs. They’d passed them on the way in, a flight of dusty, grime covered steps going down to god knows where, and Sam took them at a run, his long legs taking two, three steps at a time as he wound his way down into the darkness.

The basement was dark and dank, the smell of decay and stale air everywhere. Sam moved through it quickly, efficiently, his whole body screaming to move faster, to run, but his training making him take his time, cover off every room in turn. As he moved he prayed. _I’m coming Cas, I won’t leave you, I’m coming to you, hold on for me angel_ , a litany of hope and fear mingled in his mind. And then he saw the door.

It was huge and heavy, and worse it was sealed shut with what looked like iron melded to the wall. In all his years of hunting, Sam had never found anything good behind a door like that, but this time Castiel was in there and that meant the door had to come down. He slammed his hand against the metal, the sound echoing hugely in the empty space and Sam sent out another prayer, _Its me Castiel, you hear that?_

At first there was no response, but then he thought he caught a muffled whimpering sound, like someone wounded, or terrified, or both, coming from the other side of the door. Sam’s heart thudded in his chest at that sound, Cas would never make a noise like that unless he was truly afraid, and angels didn’t scare easily. Quickly he ran his hands over the harsh metal surface, barely daring to hope that he’d find anything, but he did. Right at the bottom, so Sam had to kneel to properly feel it, a panel had been screwed into the door. And if a panel meant weakness, then screws were even better.

Sam reached for the multi-tool he always carried, and set to work. In a matter of moments, he had the screws loose, and then he was pulling the panel off with a horrible shrieking sound, ignoring the burn that meant he was tearing muscles to do it because if Cas was in there then he would shred every inch of himself to reach him.

Sam peered through the gap he’d made in the door and almost wept with relief. In front of him, just two or three paces away, he could see Cas’s feet. Still in their dumbass dress shoes, and those terrible pants, but definitely Cas, and definitely still breathing. “Cas, thank god! You alright there?”, Sam called to him, but Cas didn’t respond, didn’t even move, and Sam could hear his breath getting faster and faster even as he watched. Cas shifted his weight from one foot to another, a sure sign he was starting to panic, and Sam cried out in confusion. “CAS! Cas I’m right here, you just gotta drop down here and come through this gap okay?”

When Cas didn’t respond again, Sam turned to prayer. It had always been their way to communicate under pressure, even though it was a one way thing. Cas always let Sam knew he’d heard. _Cas, I don’t know what’s going on in there, but I’m just on the other side of the door and--_

“No! Sam STOP. You have to go, right now. Don’t open the door Sam please. Promise me, don’t open the door. Just go.”

Sam’s eyes filled with tears against his will, Cas sounded so broken, so distraught, so sure that Sam should leave him here. But still he couldn’t see anything in there with his angel, nothing that could be causing him pain like that.

_Cas, I don’t understand. What’s in there? I can see you, or your shoes anyway. I’ll find a way to get you out of whatever this is, I promise_

Sam saw Cas’s body turn, as though the angel was looking around for him, but still he didn’t come towards the gap in the door. It was eerie, like he was watching something control his lover’s body, though if prayers were still getting through that couldn’t be it.

“Its… Oh god Sam, it’s the water, it’s-”, Cas broke off into a little sob that tore straight through Sam’s heart, “-it’s them again, it’s the Leviathans, the water is up to my neck Sam and I can’t...I can’t get out. You have to leave me.”

Sam took a deep shivery breath as he finally understood. Whatever was in there with Cas, it wasn’t really in there. It was in his mind.

_Okay Cas, just listen to my voice. I want you to shut your eyes for a minute and listen to me, can you do that? Say yes if you can, I can hear you_

“...yes”, came the response, Cas’s voice a little shaky as he struggled to control his panic. Sam took a second to compose himself, to slow his thoughts down to where a prayer would be comprehensible. He needed Cas to hear him, to trust him enough to break through the hallucinations. Sam knew all too well what that was like.

_Hey, angel. I know you’re feeling trapped right now, but I’m gonna get you out. You’re mine, and I’m not gonna leave you behind. I know you can feel the water on you right now Cas, but it isn’t real. Nothing you’re seeing is real. I can see your feet Cas and they’re dry, you’re dry. There’s nothing in the room with you, you understand?_

There was a long pause while Cas digested the information, his breath hiccuping in his chest as he fought to keep his eyes closed, his mind fixed on Sam.

“Sam I don’t… Yes, I understand, but I can feel it, I can see it. Its on me, Sam. It’s on me.”

Sam closed his eyes too and focussed. This was Cas’s worst memory, just like Hell had been his. He’d had Dean to get him through it, and then Cas when that wasn’t enough any more, but right here and now, he was all Cas’d got.

_Do you trust me Cas?_

The reply, instantly, “Yes.”

_Alright. Can you take two paces to your left? That’s right Cas, that’s good. Very good. If you put your hand out, can you feel a wall?_

Sam couldn’t see what Cas was doing above his knees, but now he was closer, Sam could reach out and touch him if he wasn’t worried that putting any part of himself into that room might drive him mad too.

“Sam? I put my arm out and I can feel it, but I think the water’s rising, it’s almost at my chin. You should just go, I don’t want you here when I… when it… when it happens again. Please.”

Sam’s reply was a shout in Castiel’s mind. _I am NOT leaving you. Not now, not ever. There isn’t any water Cas, I swear it._

Sam took a breath, kneeling in the dust outside the door.

_Cas, I need you to get all the way down to the ground._

“Sam I can’t! If I go under there, I won’t be able to stop it--”

_I know, but it isn’t real, the water isn’t real. I know you can do this Castiel. I believe in you, I believe in us. You just gotta come to me, okay? You can do it in a count of five and then you’ll be with me_

Cas let out another sob, his breath shuddering.

_You can do this Cas. You’re my angel, remember? You fought heaven. You saved Dean. You took all that pain away from me, and brought me peace, Castiel. I’ll never let you be hurt. You can do it, take a deep breath and come to me. I’m waiting for you Cas_.

There was a horrible moment where Sam thought Cas wasn’t going to do it, that he’d remain trapped by his nightmare until Sam could break the door down by force, but then he moved. Sam heard him take the deepest breath in, like he was about to dive to the bottom of the ocean, and then he slid down the wall so fast Sam almost didn’t grab his hand in time.

But he did. Cas’s hand slipped out of the gap in the door and Sam held on and pulled, and Cas came through and then he was in Sam’s arms. Sam clung to Cas, one arm protective around him as the other came up to cradle his head and stoke patterns into his hair. Cas was sobbing with relief, hugging close to the solid heat of Sam’s body as Sam comforted him.

“I’ve got you Cas, it’s okay. It wasn’t real, see? It wasn’t real. You’re safe, I’ve got you”

Cas’s sobs slowed to little trembling sighs as he let himself relax in Sam’s embrace.

“Thank you”, he whispered into Sam’s chest, and Sam held him even closer.

“I promised. You and me, Cas. Nothing’s gonna get between that. Now lets get out of here, okay? You ready to walk or shall I carry you?”

Cas gave a half giggle half sob at that, and clambered slowly to his feet.

“Maybe later, when we’re home”

“Yeah, okay. When we're home”

**Author's Note:**

> For this prompt: https://spnkink-meme.livejournal.com/155538.html?thread=47306130#t47306130


End file.
